i have a 2001 sentra with 250,000 thousand miles with a 1165 code which is swirl control valve control vacuum switch. My coolant level was a few inches low in the reserve tank. I refilled it and reset the code but it came back on. maybe a coolant flush would help??? I'm also wondering if the "vacuum switch" is the same thing as the "boost switch" which is at the top left corner of the engine compartment by the ecm Heres what nissan says about it

Swirl Control Valve

• Uses an ECM-controlled vacuum-operated actuator
• Controls intake manifold air velocity through all rpm ranges for improved performance
and emissions
During low speed operation, the valve closes to increase the velocity of air in the intake
passages, producing a swirl in the combustion chamber. This results in the following
improvements:
• Increased burning speed of the gas mixture
• More complete combustion
• Lower emission levels
• Improved fuel consumption
• Better idle quality

At higher engine speeds, the swirl control valve opens to improve performance.

The OBD code P1138 came up for my friend's 2003 Nissan Sentra. His car would only start after the third attempt and one day it did not start up at all. I went to the dealership in person and they told me that this part was covered under the emissions control warranty which is 15 years/ or 150,000 miles. Prior to going to the dealership a local shop quoted me $560 for the whole intake unit plus labor, so please check to see if your car is still under waranty with a dealership. This car made the warranty with 120,000 miles. Best of luck.

That code is for the swirl control valve. Usually it is caused by the position sensor. Unfortunately the only way to get it is to buy the lower portion of the intake manifold.

I have a p1138 code On my 2005 nissan sentra.. unfortunately i was told you have to purchase the whole lower intake.. Even though the valve itself is held on by 3 bolts and a c-clip.. Which would be easy to replace.. But leave it to Nissan to make things more costly.. Very disappointed

So is this a warranty issue? Or, should I just get rid of this car? Not paying $800 or whatever to replace a simple part. Can I take the car to a dealership and expect to get this minor issue resolved, or get raked over the coals? This is my Fiancee's car, and I need to make sure this gets taken care of. Experts, please advise!

For those Sentra owners having a code P1138 coming up on the "check engine" light, it's a swirl control valve. The code came up on my Sentra 03 in 2010 but I erased it before I can take it to the dealer. I've read in the forum that it is a part of the emission and it is warranted for 15 years/150,000 miles. So when the code came up again 2 weeks ago I took it to the dealer and talk to one of their service rep. The service rep was so helpful that he did his own research, looking at the VIN number my car was covered, at the same time the rep also found a bulletin about the electric fuel pump and it was also under warranty. So the swirl control valve and fuel pump were replaced. I did not pay anything, even the diagnostic. By the way the 15 years/150,000 miles is a California emission warranty. I don't know about other states. Check with your dealer.

For those Sentra owners having a code P1138 coming up on the "check engine" light, it's a swirl control valve. The code came up on my Sentra 03 in 2010 but I erased it before I can take it to the dealer. I've read in the forum that it is a part of the emission and it is warranted for 15 years/150,000 miles. So when the code came up again 2 weeks ago I took it to the dealer and talk to one of their service rep. The service rep was so helpful that he did his own research, looking at the VIN number my car was covered, at the same time the rep also found a bulletin about the electric fuel pump and it was also under warranty. So the swirl control valve and fuel pump were replaced. I did not pay anything, even the diagnostic. By the way the 15 years/150,000 miles is a California emission warranty. I don't know about other states. Check with your dealer.

+1 on this. My 2005 Sentra is in the shop right now getting the swirl valve replaced. Warranty is for 150K miles or 15 years in California. All the work and parts are covered free of charge.

I have an engine light on the P0505 I've tested my IAC moter measuring resistance and I have also checked the wiring between the IAC and the ECM with a multimeter so far so good. I check for the existence of vacume on the hose connected to the air box. There is none, however there is plenty of vacume when the wheel is turned. I'm doing a reman on my rack because of a seal leak so I won't be really quick to reply with a resolution if you have a suggestion but I will do my best.
Thanks in advance

Last edited by Hustler421; 03-02-2012 at 05:30 PM.
Reason: Rephrased title

I have a similar problem. I was driving my 2004 Nissan Sentra one day, and all of a sudden it seemed like the transmission went out for a few seconds, but then went away. A week later, I was driving home up a hill, and all of a sudden it seemed like I started losing gears one by one, I barely made it to the top of the hill on second gear, and then I started a down hill descent and made it about 3 miles to the point where it would no longer go. I figured it was the transmission, so I let it sit for 5 months. I finally took it to AAMCO, and they said it was the catalytic converter, so I went ahead and changed it. It was bad, so I assumed all is good now. Well I then took it for a spin up a hill, and was fine for about 3 blocks, after that, it started doing the same thing, sputtering, stalling and going for a few feet, on and on. I took it home and put the code reader in, and now it says P1132,P1137, and P1138. Does anyone out there know if the Swirl control valve, or the Swirl control valve position sensor cause this type of symptom in the car?

Seriously where the heck can I get a Swirl control valve solenoid p1138 for a 2003 Nissan Sentra? Links to where I can just buy the darn thing would be greatly appreciated. I'm going nuts! Feel like strangling a parts person at Nissan lol.

Seriously where the heck can I get a Swirl control valve solenoid p1138 for a 2003 Nissan Sentra? Links to where I can just buy the darn thing would be greatly appreciated. I'm going nuts! Feel like strangling a parts person at Nissan lol.

I was browsing this for any ideas, made an account to tell you that you can't buy the part on it's own, instead you have to buy the whole lower intake manifold. My symptoms are a P1138 code, usually always thrown on cold starts when cleared but sometimes when driving, as well as a massive loss of power under acceleration; unless the code is cleared and the car is restarted. Before my grandma passed, she had it taken to a shop about 4 years ago where they cleaned the fuel rail and injectors and got it to pass smog. Fast forward 2 years and the car was mine since my 04 Lancer blew it's piston rings. I took it back to the same shop and they did the same thing as before and got it to pass. Another year passed and here we are. The smog shop/DMV lost my smog report even though it's all electronic now, so I have to resolve the SES light. Suppose I could take it back in but I'd rather resolve the issue for good. I found a used complete mani on offerup for 65 shipped. I replaced the 'actuator'? on the driver side of the manifold that is held on by 3 bolts(bracket to engine) and the 2 Phillips screws and C-clip(actuator motor thing to bracket), as well as the PCV valve and hose. While I had the manifold off for inspection/cleaning I didn't notice anything unusual, and the swirl valve moved more freely than the 01 I snagged. the connectors and wires all looked good(didn't chase them all the way to the ECM, yet, so I put her all back together and fired her up. The code was still there so I cleared it and drove it for about 20 miles before getting messed up at my boys house and staying the night. This morning I started her up and went on home and all was good till about 5 miles in and the code came back. I suppose my next step will be to replace the position sensor on the passenger side of the manifold before chasing wires. According to the pathfinder forums, those systems are controlled by vacuum lines running to a solenoid valve but I cannot find anything like that in the engine bay and believe me, I looked. I'll report back with any updates shortly, also sorry if this is a bunch of BS rambling but this quarantine got me messed up